Currently Blogging: A Professional Update
01 November 2024 – 18 April 2025

Over the past few years, I’ve immersed myself in deep learning, through leadership, life experiences and literature. In that time, I haven’t paused long enough to reflect on how these insights have shaped my leadership style and professional growth. While I haven't read an education-specific book in nearly five years, my reading, and more recently, audiobook consumption, has centered on history, biography, self-help and leadership. These genres continue to sharpen my perspective and inform my approach as I navigate leadership challenges and opportunities.

Now, midway through my third year in a formal leadership role, I feel compelled to share what I’ve learned, how I’ve grown and how I’m beginning to re-engage with educational texts and frameworks with renewed purpose.

As I approach the end of my 11th year in education, I’m reminded of the wise counsel I received from Dr. Bryant Shaw: “The best way to know what is and isn’t working is to remove yourself from the system.” His mentorship over the past two years has been transformative, and I still seek his insight today. A recent conversation with him at Casey Middle School reignited a sense of clarity and purpose… energy I’ve been channeling into these final months at Kearney Middle School.

Kearney holds personal significance. My father walked its halls in 1962. Over the past year, we’ve led major systems work to support students and staff during a time of great change. With the December announcement that KMS will close next year, the news brought uncertainty, a reduction in leadership roles and a wave of mixed emotions: urgency colliding with a sense of finality.

From a broader perspective, the impact of our work has been measurable and meaningful. Key areas of growth include:

• Strengthened Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)

• Improved school-wide transitions and communication

• Clear, consistent behavioral norms during lunch and non-instructional time

• Significant reduction in disciplinary incidents and more intentional tracking systems

• Implementation of an advisory house system to build community

• Weekly communication through staff and family letters

• Teacher-led walkthroughs tied to instructional focus

• Shift toward standards-based instruction

There are also systems that continue to challenge me and spark ongoing reflection:

• Our use of Google Chat for real-time staff communication

• The balance between learner-centered and teacher-directed classrooms

• Building a culture of reflection and self-awareness

• Shifting from deficit-based to asset-based thinking

• Fostering true ownership and agency across the community

As I look ahead, I remain committed to capturing and applying what these experiences have taught me through reading, reflection and continued leadership. Writing is part of that journey. Thank you for reading, and for being part of the conversation.

22 September 2025

A few months into my new leadership role at Ranch View Middle School, I can honestly say the experience has been nothing short of amazing. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most creative and innovative educators, and each day has been filled with opportunities to learn, connect and grow.

Naturally, this transition has also sparked a period of reflection, particularly on how I approach people and situations in my role. As part of this process, I revisited my Emergenetics profile, this time intentionally responding from the perspective of my work and leadership practices.

One of the most encouraging takeaways has been seeing how much I’ve grown in the past three years, especially in my ability to connect with and relate to others. While I still find myself drained at times from holding back my own ideas, I’ve discovered a renewed sense of energy in supporting others as they chart their own paths. This shift has reinforced for me the value of adapting to each person and circumstance with openness, curiosity and respect, while still contributing my own energetic flair when the moment calls for it.

I’m grateful for the ways this role is stretching me as both a leader and a learner, and I’m already looking forward to revisiting this self-assessment the next time I step into a new leadership chapter.

26 March 2025

A multitude of experiences have brought me to this point, one where I feel, without a shadow of a doubt, that I am ready to serve as a building-level principal. When I pause to reflect, I realize that my confidence does not come from simply knowing more. It comes from embracing a sense of calm, an understanding of who I am as a leader and how I show up each day.

Recently, a student asked why I always remind kids to take off their headphones. I responded, “Good habits are good to keep, and bad habits are hard to break.” In that simple exchange, I had a quiet moment of clarity, an “aha” that reaffirmed my readiness. One conversation alone does not create systemic change, but it is in these small, consistent moments, layered over time, that real and lasting impact is built.

Throughout my journey, I have been fortunate to engage in meaningful leadership experiences. I have completed two district-level leadership cohorts in DCSD, supported PLCs through the lens of an instructional leader and served as an athletic director during a historic 35–0 eighth-grade basketball season, an accomplishment that, to my knowledge, was a first for our district. Beyond titles and achievements, I have partnered with community members and counselors, and most importantly, built authentic relationships with students. The sheer number of handshakes (and styles) I exchange each day is a reflection of those connections and the culture I strive to create.

As this year draws to a close, I remain committed to growth. I continue to pour myself into professional literature and intentionally seek out diverse experiences. I have had the opportunity to interview with district leaders across the state, and if I am fortunate enough to step into a principal role, I will do so with both humility and readiness. And if my path keeps me at Ranch View for another year, I am equally confident in my ability to continue building a place that feels like family.